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Population-based description of air and space transport accident mortality, United States, 1979-89.

Population based mortality rates for air and space transport accidents for the years 1979 through 1989 were calculated and reported. Mortality data were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics, grouped into categories, and presented as deaths per 1,000,000 general population. During the period studied, 5.8 air and space accident deaths per 1,000,000 population were reported. These deaths were the eleventh leading cause of unintentional injury death during 1989. A 41% decrease in the air and space mortality rates were seen between 1979 and 1989. A disproportionately higher number of males died from air and space transport causes than females. The highest number of air and space transport related deaths was seen in California. Of the five groups of air and space transport accidents examined, between 85% and 90% of all air and space transport deaths fell into the group considered by the author to best approximate the deaths reported by the National Transportation Safety Board.